On a two-way street, how close to the curb must your right wheels be when parallel parked?
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A.
Touching the curb
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B.
Within 12 inches Correct
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C.
Within 6 inches
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D.
Within 3 feet
The answer is "Within 12 inches"
Illinois requires the right wheels within 12 inches of the curb when parallel parking on a two-way street. Choice D is what drivers reach for when they translate 'close to the curb' loosely and borrow the three-foot figure from the bicycle passing rule.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Touching the curb
The manual sets a maximum gap, not a requirement to make contact with the curb. This answer reads 'within 12 inches' as literal contact, a habit that scrapes rims and shreds sidewalls.
C. Within 6 inches
Six inches is tighter than the manual requires and would put the tires almost against the curb. This answer halves the allowance out of a general belief that closer is safer than the printed rule.
D. Within 3 feet
Three feet is far wider than the manual permits for parallel parking. This answer borrows the three-foot bicycle passing distance and applies it to a curb clearance.
This question tests your knowledge of Parking in Illinois. Source: Illinois Rules of the Road, "Parking - Parallel Parking," p.35..
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